| Raphael Akpejiori | |
| Real Name: | Ethasor Raphael Akpejiori |
| Nickname: | The Violent Poet |
| Weight: | Heavyweight |
| Height: | 6 ft 8 in |
| Birth Place: | Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria |
| Style: | Orthodox |
| Boxrec: | 840891 |
| Total: | 18 |
| Wins: | 17 |
| Ko: | 16 |
| Losses: | 1 |
Ethasor Raphael Akpejiori is a Nigerian professional boxer.
Raphael Akpejiori was born on 10 October 1990 in Lagos, Nigeria to Pius and Clara Akpejiori, and grew up in the Surulere area of the city.[1] [2] He was raised alongside his five siblings: Okhiaofe, Ilamosi, Eshemokha, Ideoghena, and Eboshogwe. [3] Growing up in a vibrant and supportive family, Raphael Akpejiori developed a passion for sports and education. In 2008, at the age of 17, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, on a basketball scholarship, where he attended Sunrise Christian Academy. Two years later, in 2010, he was recruited by the University of Miami, where he played as a forward for the university's basketball team for four seasons. During his graduate studies, he transitioned to American football in 2014 and earned an invitation to the Miami Dolphins' training camp in 2015.[4] [5] Akpejiori holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering, showcasing his dedication to academics alongside his athletic career. Known for his athletic prowess and academic achievements, Akpejiori has successfully balanced his sporting career with a strong background in engineering.[6]
Akpejiori had a brief amateur career, compiling a record of 13–1 (10 KOs).[6] He was invited by the Nigerian Boxing Federation to compete for Nigeria at the Tokyo Olympics as a super-heavyweight.[7]
Trained by former world champion Glen Johnson,[8] Akpejiori made his professional debut on 14 September 2018, scoring a first-round technical knockout (TKO) victory over Omar Acosta at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island.[9] Following another first-round TKO win over James Advincola in November,[10] Akpejiori scored three more first-round stoppage wins in 2019; a knockout (KO) over Leo Cassiani in June;[11] and TKOs over Johan Lopez in July[12] and Jose Pulido in August.[13] Akpejiori's first fight of 2020 was a second-round TKO win against Mike Ford in January.[14]
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Win | 17-1 | Santander Silgado Gelez | TKO | |||||
| 17 | Win | 16-1 | Francisco Silvens Mateo | KO | |||||
| 16 | Loss | 15–1 | Arslanbek Makhmudov | TKO | 2 (10), | 1 Jul 2023 | |||
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Dell Long | TKO | 1 (8), | 21 Jan 2023 | |||
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Terrell Jamal Woods | 8 | 11 Jun 2022 | ||||
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Santander Silgado | TKO | 1 (8), | 6 Nov 2021 | |||
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Steven Lyons | TKO | 1 (8), | 10 Jul 2021 | |||
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Brandon Spencer | TKO | 2 (8), | 11 Jun 2021 | |||
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Curtis Head | TKO | 1 (6), | 24 Apr 2021 | |||
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Joshua Tuani | KO | 1 (6), | 23 Jan 2021 | |||
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Jared Torgeson | TKO | 2 (6), | 7 Nov 2020 | |||
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Gary Kelly | TKO | 2 (6), | 22 Aug 2020 | |||
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Mike Ford | TKO | 2 (6), | 17 Jan 2020 | |||
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Jose Pulido | TKO | 2 (6), | 17 Aug 2019 | |||
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Johan Lopez | TKO | 1 (4), | 26 Jul 2019 | |||
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Leo Cassiani | 1 (4), | 15 Jun 2019 | ||||
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | James Advincola | TKO | 1 (4), | 21 Nov 2018 | |||
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Omar Acosta | 1 (4), | 14 Sep 2018 |
In November 2023, Akpejiori married basketball player and NBA analyst Chiney Ogwumike.[15]